Arsenal produced a narrow 1-0 win against Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with a sublime Mesut Ozil effort the difference in the game.

The Gunners had the first attempt on goal on three minutes. Alexandre Lacazette played a one-two with Alex Iwobi before firing a low drive towards goal that Rob Elliot got down to save.

At the other end of the pitch, Petr Cech had to be alive to save Jamaal Lascelles far post header. Full-back DeAndre Yedlin saw an effort from 20 yards out fly well over the bar from the resulting corner kick.

On eight minutes, Lacazette saw a shot on goal blocked by the Newcastle defence before Hector Bellerin also saw an effort on goal blocked by the Magpies backline.

Arsenal came forward again with a good team move involving Mesut Ozil, Bellerin and Lacazette, with the ball coming to Alexis Sanchez on the edge of the area, only for the Chilean to fire over Elliot’s bar.

Soon afterwards, the Gunners went close to taking the lead. Young full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles drove forward from his position took on three Newcastle defenders before firing into the side-netting.

The Gunners took the lead on 23 minutes. Sanchez saw an effort on goal blocked. However, the ball looped into the sky and produced a fantastic left-footed volley past Elliot.

Bellerin flashed a volley over the bar from a Sanchez cross on 27 minutes, as the Gunners started to build up pressure on the visitors. The Gunners continued to press the Newcastle goal and Granit Xhaka fired just wide of the target.

In first-half stoppage-time, Sanchez fired an effort just wide of the near post as the Gunners finished the half on top.

The home side started the second half the same way they ended the first, by attacking the visitor’s goal. Four minutes into the second period, Sanchez’s effort on goal was deflected wide of goal by Christian Atsu.

Arsenal continued to attack and Elliot have to be alive to keep out a deflected effort from Iwobi. Newcastle substitute Matt Ritchie nearly made an immediate impact, as the midfielder fired over the bar from the edge of the area.

The Magpies threatened again, as they suddenly looked an attacking threat. Murphy raced down the left flank, took on two defenders before drawing Cech into a superb low save.

On the hour mark, Arsenal had a golden opportunity to double their lead. Iwobi put Lacazette through on goal. However, with just the Newcastle goalkeeper to beat, the striker’s chipped effort went well off target.

Iwobi fired off target with an overhead kick just after the hour mark. The Nigerian international was at it again on 66 minutes, taking on three defenders before seeing his effort on goal saved easily by Elliot.

With a quarter of an hour left on the clock, substitute Oliver Giroud nodded the ball down to Jack Wilshere, who shot straight at Elliot.

With ten minutes left on the clock, the visitors came within inches of equalising, as Joselu’s as low effort on goal was deflected just wide of goal by Laurent Koscielny. Newcastle threatened again a minute later, as Ayoze Perez fired over the bar at the far post.

The Magpies kept coming forward and on 82 minutes Perez headed wide at the far post when unmarked. With two minutes left, Arsenal attempted to catch the visitors on the counter-attack, as Ozil found Giroud, whose deflected effort was saved by Elliot.

The effort was the last of the game, as Arsenal held on for a win that took the Gunners up to fourth in the table.